It's been a while since the last update, but as promised – here’s the big March update. The weekly patches have been temporarily put on hold because… well, I decided to overhaul the game’s code. More details on this madness below.


Let’s not sugarcoat it – the game has a lot of quality issues, and we all know it. Many players don’t enjoy it, and there are many reasons for that. Some mechanics were never fully developed, some ideas remained unfinished, and others simply don’t add enough value. All of this resulted in a chaotic mix of different functions that have been tweaked over time but were never properly restructured.

As you can imagine, fixing anything in such an environment was a nightmare, so I made the decision to rewrite most of the code from scratch – this time, the right way.

The worst parts of the code have already been rewritten and are included in this update. This primarily concerns Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar, as well as most systems related to resource management. The result? The code is now 2x to... 19x faster and more optimized. That’s a significant difference, and you should already feel the impact, especially in larger cities. Of course, this doesn’t completely solve the game’s performance issues – they are complex – but removing inefficient code is a solid step in the right direction. This also dramatically improves the stability of the game and the correctness of the parameters when loading the save game.


I won’t promise miracles. Strategy Labs has shut down, and nothing will change that. But as long as I’m here, I’ll fight until the end. My goal is to improve the game’s ratings – a tough task, but I hope that with each update, at least some of you will reconsider your opinion.

The game has many problems, and most of them can only be fixed by restructuring large parts of it. Thanks to this update, I can finally add new features to Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar – something that was previously impossible due to how the code was written. Now, I can implement sorting with minimal effort, which was unachievable before. And this is just the beginning – more features are already in the pipeline.


All these changes are leading to a bigger goal – a potential engine upgrade.


Because some of the game’s biggest issues come from the fact that it's running on the now outdated Unreal Engine 4.25. Many of the plugins I rely on are no longer supported, and their bugs will never be fixed. Upgrading Unreal Engine is always risky (the "if it works, don’t touch it" rule), but in this case, a lot of things… just don’t work.

At this point, I have nothing to lose, so I’m going to give this path a try.

Thank you to everyone who is still here and supporting the project. The fight continues! 🚀

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For two reasons, this patch will initially be available on the test branch.


1. Massive code changes and save game compatibility
The scale of the code overhaul means partial incompatibility with existing save games. The entire system handling goods management has been rewritten, so after loading an old save, Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar will be empty. Additionally, the trader may have incorrect values when loading a save, potentially causing unexpected issues.
So, it’s best to finish your mission before updating or start fresh.


2. I’m the only one left testing the game
Unfortunately, I no longer have access to QA, so I’m testing everything myself. Until I’m 200% sure everything is stable (which I’m not yet), the update will remain on the test branch. In view of this, my request for understanding of any bugs that cause regression against the default version - everything will be fixed asap.

3. How to enable this update? You need to change in steam game properties from default to patch_test. There is also a branch there with the previous version of the game should something go wrong.

• Added 4 quick-access shortcuts to selected locations on the map. Press Ctrl + 1/2/3/4 to set a location for quick access.
  
  
• Click on the map to teleport to that location (works when zoom on the minimap is disabled).
  
  
• Added sorting for goods in the player’s goods panel, Stockpile, Granary, and Bazaar.
  
  
• Fixed several trader-related issues.
  
  
• Fixed most issues related to goods, such as not being able to send sandstone when requested by another city.
  
  
• Increased the number of goods purchased by traders.
  
  
• Modified some land availability colors (still in progress).
  
  
• Changed Stockpile behavior – "Collect" and "Export" no longer exclude each other. (Experimental, testing to see if this feels better.)

These are the major changes – I won’t list the small ones because time is better spent working on the next features! Next in line, in addition to the UI changes, are fixes to the monuments (I've been getting a lot of save game lately - thanks everyone!) and a complete overhaul of the notification system, another programming horror story that has been dragging on since the very beginning of the game.

Take care, and see you in the next update! ❤️

in today's update small things, meanwhile collecting more serious topics for the big update, as I am currently dismantling the game and want to hit serious bugs more comprehensively. The upcoming festival will also see the same or better promotion than the last one. To all those who dared to try BoE, thank you very much, and I hope they will stay here longer as the dust settles after the drama of the release and concrete plans for improvement emerge from under it.

Regarding this big update. Let me write about it instead of creating a showy graphic with announcements. About the fact that I am improving the UI you know it so there is no need to repeat here, the same about bugs because it is obvious. On the other hand, what is addressed next is the first impressions of the game. A lot of people reject the game after several minutes for various reasons, but also a lot of these reasons are known and I'm focusing on them to change that. In view of this, you can expect simplifications in the interface, changes in some gameplay elements as well as removal of things that simply don't work or are obviously unnecessary.

Over seven years of producing and releasing different versions of the game, various strange ideas have accumulated, which must somehow be broken out of, and the first results will hopefully be seen in the upcoming update. There are several such things but I will leave describing them in detail to a future patch.

Fixed:

• upgrade of houses - the lack of showing the icon of residents and in fact their incomplete number caused a lot of confusion in understanding how the upgrade of houses works. Now if a house can advance and only residents are missing, such an icon will be shown. This is, of course, one of many UI problems that will be fixed in a major update.
  
• one of the rare bugs causing Trader to get stuck, particularly somewhere in the middle of a route, has been fixed. This probably doesn't solve all possible scenarios of such an error but at least we have one less.
  
• improved house statistics in the building browser
  
• fixed the display of some monuments on the minimap

Hey Builders!

Another update, more changes. This time I managed to hunt down one stubborn bug, which could have quite an impact on gameplay. It will be discussed below. Preparations for the big update are underway, I'm working on interface changes and maybe a complete overhaul of the tutorial in the first mission (if I make it).

The priority is the UI and the tiresome bugs, which are terribly difficult to look for, but something is slowly managing to find. Some of them are in the test version, so before I make it public I have to play BoE myself and see if it causes any other problems.

Several people have sent me their save games, for which I thank you sincerely! One of them in particular helped me solve the problem I mentioned above. So if you have a save game where something is breaking, send it to me: info@strategy-labs.com <- then the fix will be added to the next update as long as it can be fixed at that time.

In this patch:

• fixed ships that, while waiting for workers, would sail away for no apparent reason. This is a significant bug, which caused some of you to not be able to complete the mission (thanks to Matt G. for the save game)
  
• construction sounds have been standardized, the problem with the cannonade of sounds when loading the game coming from the city has been has been mostly removed, and unnecessary building price widgets (mostly™) do not appear either
  
• corrected display of the influence of decorative objects on neighboring buildings, the icon was incorrectly grayed out and they could fail to disappear (I mean those smiling faces)
  
• Clicking on the docks shows approaching and departing Stockpile workers (a small change but how helpful)

hope you are well! I'm still collecting ideas and suggestions for the big update, if something else is on your mind - go ahead and write, I'll try to add it to the game. Several ideas are already implemented in the game even if they require a lot of attention to changes in the game code.

Fixes:

• (new) added the ability to pause the voiceover while loading the game
  
• repaired chariot settings in stockpile
  
• fixed display of sphinx on minimap
  
• fixed display of icons for papyrus maker
  
  
• further fixes for the culture balance
  
• further language fixes

(this time I check four times to which language I am posting the update, last week I pasted my post to Polish instead of English and thus went the old update as a new one, I corrected it after time)

In March, during the City-Building Festival, we will release the first major update, which will bring more changes than the smaller patches we’ve been publishing almost every Friday on Steam. The list of things you’d like to see in this update is still open, so if you have any suggestions, the best place to share them is on Discord. As you probably know, since the beginning of February, it's just me working on the game, and I can’t always be everywhere, so Discord is the fastest way to reach me with your ideas.

We also have great news for those who prefer DRM-free games – Builders of Egypt is now available on GOG! If you’re interested in purchasing the game on that platform, now you know where to find it.

Finally, a huge thank you for all the positive reviews and words of support. Every piece of feedback and every bit of engagement in our community means a lot to me. It's thanks to you that the game continues to evolve, and I’m motivated to keep improving it.

Take care, and see you in the upcoming updates!

Best regards,
Jacek – Strategy Labs

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fixed:

• stockpile and granary, copying subsequent buildings reset their parameters
  
• pause, after loading the game, the game could display the word Pause but the game was still running.
  
• reeds, all fields marked as reed are now treated as non-buildable. When hovering over a building site with a building, a blocked area will now be displayed. This may mean that when loading a game where reeds have already been built on, i.e. before this patch, problems may occur, e.g. when rebuilding a building on this field.
  
• booths and gardens could not be copied
  
• balance: the influence of buildings on the level of culture has been significantly increased, it should be much easier now.
  
• city statistics have been improved and should now be calculated correctly
  
• further translations have been improved
  
• removed messages from the main menu. I did this for two reasons - without internet or connectivity issues, the game could crash. Additionally, these updates also go directly to GOG, where Steam information is unnecessary.
  
• added the ability to hide/show the UI, you asked for it, I added it
  
• last, something for which I received a few negative reviews: I added the option to change the Zoom acceleration ːsteamthisː

In the meantime, while fixing bugs and addressing the most tiresome problems with e.g. monuments, I'm also working on improving the UI - we're at the beginning of this process so the further away from launch the more serious things will be changed.

In this update:

• added switching of carriers between the same workers coming from the same building
  
• added ability to check which building a carrier goes to and from which building he comes from
  
• added a missing reed on map 10
  
• fixed several minor errors in the display of materials
  
• fixed the display of the stockpile range after loading the game
  
• increased the range of the bazaar
  
• added the display of the range of a house when building it

As you all know, the launch of Builders of Egypt was not an easy moment for us. The scale of the failure is hard to bear, both for me and the entire team. It’s difficult to pinpoint a single cause—there were many—but what matters now is: what’s next?

Some of you may already know about the gradual closure of Strategy Labs, which means that the dream of creating new games will remain just that—a dream. However, I, as the game's creator, will stay at the helm to improve Builders of Egypt, fix all encountered bugs, and work on its further development.

In the near future, I’ll share a roadmap with you, outlining where I want to take the game. We all know there’s still a lot to be done, but let’s keep our expectations realistic—this journey won’t culminate in a Builders of Egypt 2.0. That said, I hope to deliver a solid 1.5 version, which will introduce significant improvements and provide a glimmer of hope for a better experience.

Thank you for your support, patience, and every piece of feedback. It’s because of you that I still believe Builders of Egypt can become a project we can all be proud of.

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And now about the latest update 1.0399:

• fixed the loading of main events, the absence of which was causing you to get stuck in a mission
  
• Changed the Wage balance, reducing the impact on the difficulty level
  
• from now on, the game shows that it waits for a main event if one is active and the other mission conditions have been fulfilled
  
• further translation errors corrected
  
• NEW: Icons in buildings have been added to allow switching to the next same building.
  

More fixes, you report a lot of them, we are listening, working and not giving up.
- The first fixes for the LOD, visible in particular on the foliage, which when moving very quickly changed quality. Work on this continues.
- Scoring corrections at the end of the mission. The intention was to pass the mission as quickly as possible (the effect of time on scoring) but the conditions were too radical so now the first balance. The required number of points was reduced and also the effect of time on scoring was radically reduced.

further down the line:
- more LOD (buildings) amendments, people
- bugs of course
- first QoL changes suggested from the community

First hotfix available. I sincerely apologize to all who experienced the following bugs, I know how frustrating it is:

- fixed: the problem of not being able to advance to the next level in the campaign has been solved. The fix works on new game and on save game, in this case you should:

load the campaign save, wait a second (the fix will work) and load the campaign from the main menu again, it should load the next mission normally

- fixed: after finishing the campaign mission, the game returned to the loading screen and not to the campaign map of the next mission
- fixed: problem with constantly negative Satisfaction
- fixed: fixed slow switching of save game windows, especially when there were a lot of them
- fixed: incorrect default values in Bazaar
- fixed: synchronized voiceover with scrolling text
- fixed: blockers when loading game during tutorials
- fixed: further errors in translations

Next in line: LOD and first performance fixes

I am happy to announce that the game ‘Builders of Egypt’ has just been released! I invite you all to play together and discover the secrets of ancient Egypt. Have fun!

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On the occasion of the launch of my game 'Builders of Egypt', I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart - the loyal fans who have accompanied me over the years in the development of this unique project. Your support, constant interest and invaluable advice have been my driving force in creating a game that combines the spirit of classic city-building games like Pharaoh and Caesar with a modern approach to gameplay.

There were several crises during the development of Builders of Egypt - at times I lost faith in the success of the project and there was a feeling in the air that not everything was going according to plan. At times, the trust of some of you was also damaged, but thanks to open dialogue and your unwavering commitment, we managed to overcome these difficulties together and bring the game to a happy conclusion.

In the end, the game is gigantic - it contains no less than 39 missions, a dozen or so monuments, a lot of text and several hundred 2D graphics. This huge content fills me with pride and in a way fulfils my ambitions for this project. I am delighted to be able to offer you such an extensive production, in which everyone will find something for themselves.



Thank you for all your opinions and constructive feedback, especially during the testing of Builders of Egypt: Prologue. Thanks to you, I was able to improve the city management mechanics, strengthen the economic layer and faithfully reflect the religious and political realities of ancient Egypt. The long development process - although it didn't take longer than it took to build the Great Pyramid, it came close at times - allowed me to refine every detail and improve the game with each update.



As a lone developer, I've put my heart and soul into this project, but without your perseverance, support and patience, the road to release would have been much harder. Now, at last, you can step into the sands of the desert, build your own empire and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the ancient world.
I wish you much satisfaction and unforgettable experiences with Builders of Egypt. It is thanks to you that this game has become a reality - I am grateful that you have been with me all this time, and I hope that you will remain part of this great Egyptian adventure for a long time to come. I also wish every developer such an engaged community, as your passion and support makes working on a game truly special.

With gratitude,

Jacek,
Creator of Builders of Egypt

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As we approach the release of our game, reviews have started to emerge, especially on YouTube. We warmly welcome all of them and are pleased to see that many are positive, which is particularly encouraging for a niche game like ours. However, naturally, there are also some negative reviews that require our general commentary.

While various issues, such as level of detail or the user interface, can and will need to be addressed in upcoming patches, recording reviews without fully familiarizing oneself with the game is something beyond our control—just as it is with any other game. In our case, with such limited marketing resources, these opinions can be particularly disheartening.

We want to emphasize that the game is intentionally challenging and will remain so. It requires an understanding of its mechanics, which is why we especially recommend progressing through the missions one by one. As you complete each mission, new buildings and additional game mechanics are unlocked, making it easier to grasp and master the gameplay.

This is why the Prologue and Demo include the first four missions, which introduce most of the game’s mechanics. It’s important to keep this in mind and first try out these free versions to familiarize yourself with the mechanics and decide for yourself whether the continuous struggle with limited resources is something you’d like to invest in later.

Additionally, we strive to maintain maximum transparency in this aspect and do not want to surprise anyone with elements that have long been known and are verifiable in the Prologue or Demo. Our goal is to ensure that all players have a clear understanding of what to expect, thereby fostering a trustworthy and open relationship with our community.